Conventional skating boots are typically constructed with a relatively stiff leather upper built about a boot-like sole and heel platform, which are likewise relatively stiff. Accordingly, when the wearer's foot is placed into the skating boot, and the skating boot is laced up, unless the skating boot essentially form fits the wearer's foot, or the wearer has a relatively straight lower leg (e.g., tibia relative to the vertical axis extending downwardly through the knee), some wearer's feet have a tendency to roll about the ankle joint (e.g., display eversion and/or inversion characteristics). This situation is especially problematic for individuals with existing pronation and/or supination conditions. For example, some of these individuals may have “bowed” lower legs (e.g., laterally or medially), and as a result, the supinators and/or the pronators attempt to compensate by maintaining a neutral or level foot posture relative to the skating blade. In these situations, the wearer of the skating boot attempts to keep the skating blade vertically aligned with the knee/upper portion of the lower leg (e.g., proximal portion of the tibia) so as to maintain proper balance. However, because the toe cap of the skating boot forces the wearer's toes and/or forefoot down onto the foot bed surface, and because typical ice skating maneuvers with ice skating boots require the foot to be able to balance on a point of a rockered skating blade, it is virtually impossible for the wearer to consistently and constantly maintain proper balance, especially if one or both of the wearer's feet naturally pronates and/or supinates to any significant degree. Needless to say, skating performance would be expected to significantly suffer under these particular circumstances.
If the ice skater's foot is not properly positioned in order to maintain constant and consistent balance over the skating blade, the muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments of the skater's foot (as well as other parts of the body) can become stressed and/or injured as the ankle repeatedly rolls, or attempts to roll, either laterally or medially. However, conventional skating blades, once attached to an underside surface of the sole of a skating boot are impossible to adjust in any direction and/or axis.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a new and improved piece of footwear, such as but not limited to ice skating boots, for correcting a pronation and/or supination condition such that the skating blade is vertically aligned with the knee/upper portion of the lower leg (e.g., proximal portion of the tibia) so as to maintain proper balance, that overcomes at least one of the aforementioned problems.
The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various Figures.